Thermal responsive device



Jan. 9, 1945. R. A. GOUGEON THERMAL RESPONSIVE DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1942 4 C/J E M R. 0 m me%/ 1 e U 1 o G a Q m R Patented Jan. 9, 1945 T STATES ()F Fl-CE THERMAL nnsroNSIwEpEv-IGE Russell A. G ougeongEcorse, *Mich. A plication was s, 194.2,, .SerialNo. 1 425,396 ZCIaimS. c1. 297 's) 1My invention relates. to a newuand useful im- .provem'ent in ,a thermal :gresponsive actuating member primarily adapted for use with cooking :utensils as a means :ior automatically actuating saggasrvalve or the like.;upon the rising of liquid r beingboiled to a certain temperature so :that the liquidmay be subjected to just enough heat .to maintain it at a boiling-point.

Another object of the invention the provision of a mechanism of this classso. arranged that :a portion thereof may be submerged in liquid to :be boiled .so as to be affected directly .by thetemperature of the liquid beingboiled.

- Other objects will appear, hereinafter.

It is "recognized that various modifications and changes may be made inthedetail of structure illustrated without departing from thespiritof .the invention and it is intended that such varia tions shall .b'eembraced within the scope .of the .claimsforming .a part hereof.

:Forming a part of thi specification is a draw- .ing in'which: I

Fig. 1 is a central, verticalsectionalview of the invention withparts broken away and showing it applied. 7 3

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central sectional view of the valve mechanism. 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View of a slightly modified form of the invention.

In the drawing I have illustrated a liquid re-. ceptacle 9 positioned over a gasburner I the liquid level being indicated by the line H. A

valve housing I2 is connected in the usual man-' ner to the gas supply pipe 13 and in this housing I2 is the usual control valve l4 whereby the gas may be turned on and off, this valve controlling the flow of gas through the passage l5. Formed in the housing 12 is a radial cavity or passage !6 communicating with which are passages I I and I8 which communicate with the passage I9 in the nipple 20. Extending upwardly from the housing I2 is a nipple 2|. Slidably mounted in this passage l 6 in the nipple 2! is a valve-forming plunger or piston 22 which is connected .to the threaded end 23 of a wire'23'. This wire is of the flexible type and extends through the sheath-, ing 24. A nut 25 is threaded on the threaded portion 23 of the 23 wire sothat when the v threaded portion 23 of the wire is threaded into the iston 22 a predetermined, distance the nut 25 may be used as a lock nut. A cap 26 is threaded on the nipple 2| and the sheath 24 projects 1 through the cap of 26.

. Positioned in the receptacle :9, :so vias to .be vsubmerged in the liquid contained'therein, 1s a housing ,2! having ,a :cover 52.8 formed thereon,

- the housing and the, ,cover '28 forming a leak proof connection. Communicating with the ini- .terio r of the housing :27 and jpIOjQCtlng upwardly from the cover 28 is a tube 29 having the .en- 'larged portion 30 upon its upper end. The'wire .:2 3f .extends into the enlarged tube ;3.0and is connected to the piston like member .34 :Which .isslidable. in the enlarged .-tube:.30. This piston like member 3| is provided on its peripherywith .a plurality of serrations32. .its ends to theenlarged tube 30,-is a leaf spring 33 having its free. end :34 angularly turned to v :projectinwardly through the slot .135 formed in the enlarged tube .30 so .as. to normally engage heat'responsive expandible bellows 38 which is positioned in the housing 21 and filled with suitable liquid. It will be noted that the bellows 38 is of lessdiameter than the housing 21 and that the enlargement or tube 3!] projects above the water level in the receptacle 9 thus the housing 2'! is open to the atmosphere and the bellows 38 is surrounded by air. I

The operation of the device will now be described:

When it is desired to boil liquid in the receptacle 9 the valve l4 would be open and the gas issuing to the gas burner I0 would be ignited and the mechanism would be in the position shown in Fig. 1. It is recognized that it would not require the application of as much heat to maintain the liquid in boiling condition as it would 33 would ride over the succession of serrations 7 thus preventing return movement of the rod 31. The movement of the member 3| would, through Secured, atone of the wire 23', move the piston 22 downwardly into position for covering and closing the end of the passage [1 thus leaving only the passage l8 as an outlet for the gas to the burner 10. This passage I8 may be adjusted by means of a manually operated adjusting valve 42. In this way there is provided a means for automatically shutting on a portion of the gas and controlling the fiow of gas to the burner, dependent upon the heat of the liquid in the receptacle 9. When the member 22 has been moved to a position for closing the opening H the bellows 38 will not be expanded to its maximum. Should the liquid in the receptacle 9 be boiled away the bellows 38 would further expand and move the valve-forming piston 22 so as to also cover the end of the passage l8, thus completely shutting off the flow of gas to the burner Ill. In all of its positions of downward movement the valveforming piston 22 is secured against reverse movement by the latch mechanism embodying the spring 33 and the serrations 32. This is important, particularly in the event the liquid boils away and the member 26 moves downward to close the passage l8. Were this member 22 permitted to return upon contracting of the bellows 28 it is obvious that the flow of gas to the burner I would then be permitted after the burner had gone out. The leaf mechanism therefore is a safety factor which is believed quite desirable and necessary in a device of this kind.

It will be noted that the structure may be mounted in the ordinary valve housing 12 which is commonly used in connection with gas burners without materially increasing the size or weight of the valve structure. Since all of the moving parts of the mechanism in it are enclosed it is believed obvious that interference with its operation through accumulation of foreign material is reduced to a minimum. The structure is also sufiioiently light so as to permit its easy manipulation and placement in a receptacle and the wire 23 is sufficiently flexible to permit the storing of the mechanism away around the gas stove without materially interfering with objects commonly used in connection with a gas stove.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slight modification of the invention in which the passages l1 and 18 are eliminated and a slot 83 is substituted therefor.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, an expandable heat responsive member; a tube projecting upwardly from said member and opening at its upper end to the atmosphere; a stem connected to said member and slidable in said tube; ratchet teeth on a portion of said stem, said tube having a slot formed therein at said ratchet teeth; a spring carried by said tube, and projected at one end through said slot for successively engaging said ratchet teeth upon movement of said stem in one direction for preventing return movement of said stem; and means embracing said tube and attached to said spring for moving said spring out of ratchet teeth engaging position.

2. In a device of the class described, a closed housing adapted for submergence in liquid; an expandable heat responsive member positioned in said housing and spaced at its periiphery in spaced relation to the walls of said housing; a tube communicating with the interior of said housing and projecting upwardly therefrom, and open at its upper end, and terminating normally above the liquid level; a stem connected to said expandable member and projecting upwardly and slidably of said tube; said tube having a slot formed therein; ratchet teeth on said stem accessible through said slot; a spring member carried by said tube and projected through said slot for successively engaging said ratchet teeth upon movement of said stem in one direction for preventing return movement of said stem; a means embracing said tube and attached to said spring for moving said spring out of ratchet teeth engaging position.

. RUSSELL A. GOUGEON. 

